Scotland sometimes congratulates itself on being free from conventional far-right extremists like the National Front and the British National Party.
One of the reasons this is so is because this ground is already occupied by the Orange Order and their hangers-on. A collection of (very few) religious zealots, the wannabe (and actual) Loyalist paramilitaries down to the assorted mob of lumpen wine swillers who follow the Order's walks and who even the Lodge disdain.
As a corollary the only places where the BNP and NF have managed to historically have a presence in Scotland is in places where the Order was kicked out long ago.
These are the forces who can always be relied on to provide the bully-boys to intimidate and divide the working class (and Indy) movements. The classic function of Fascism.
The Order says that at least six of its members "and many more friends of the Order" have been elected as councillors in the May 2015 Scottish Council elections.
Anti-Catholic and anti-Indy sentiment can quickly turn to violence. Witness the 21011 letter bombing campaign against Neil Lennon, Trish Godman MSP and Paul McBride QC., all figures associated with Catholicism in Scotland.
Two Ayrshire men, Trevor Muirhead and Neil McKenzie one of whom had links with Loyalist Paramilitaries were sentenced to five years on assault charges after a charge of conspiracy to murder was dropped.
The courts of the land have also been troubled over the years by other Loyalists whose "only crime was loyalty" (apart from running guns, ammunition and explosives to the UDA/UFF/UVF/LVF etc).
"Loyalists" also distinguished themselves by public disorder in Glasgow and other places in the days following the last Indy Referendum.
These are the elements that Ruth Davidson and other Tory dirt are recklessly wooing.
Let us not forget the shameful record of "Scottish" Labour either. They have plenty of form where pandering to the Sash-wearers goes. When Ian Murray MP wears his ludicrous Union Jack suit, doesn't he realise we know who he is sucking up to? Does he think our heads button up the back?
Since the 1950s Labour in Scotland was successful in getting the Orange vote from the Tories and assorted "Protestant Action" and "Scottish Protestant League" candidates who were a regular feature of municipal politics in Scotland until that time. Now that Labour is in freefall in Scotland, part of these social forces are reassigning their vote to the Tories.
In common with everybody else they see no future for Labour in Scotland. Or rather, only room for ONE unionist party in Scotland.
Thus now, the move by Ruth Davidson and Murdo Fraser to park their tanks on Labour's Orange lawn. Of course Ruth and Murdo feel nothing but contempt for these folk, but their votes will be handy and if the worst comes to the worst (in Davidson's eyes) the Lumpens will be encouraged to fight and undermine a new Scottish state and its independence.
That was the social function of "Loyalism" in Ireland. In a dystopian re-run of the "first time as tragedy, second time as farce" this is the fate that awaits them in Scotland.
Davidson needs to catch herself on. She is playing with social forces she cannot comprehend.
With Ruthie's encouragement it is only a matter of time before some Lumpen gets it into his head to plant a bomb or shoot somebody that the "Scottish" unionist media calls a "traitor" or and "extremist".
That somebody could be you or me.
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